A Total Eclipse of the Tart
by ManateeMama
Summary: When Brenda meets an old nemesis she realizes once again that sometimes a win masquerades as a loss.


**A/N: Brenda is working in the DA's office and Fritz has just taken over S.O.B. This story references my previous stories "Two Cases" and "Insanity".**

Brenda closed her office door and changed into the black shantung dress that Fritz had special requested that she wear for their Valentine's Day dinner date before grabbing the gifts and the Valentine card she'd purchased for him and stuffing them into her purse. Then she put on her coat and walked to her secretary's desk. "Linda, I'm leavin' for the day. I'll see you tomorrow. You and Dan have a great dinner."

"We will. You have a great one too," Linda smiled as Brenda nodded and headed for the door.

Fritz had called to say that he had an unexpected detour. He had to stop back at the office to sign some paperwork and would ask someone to drop him off at the restaurant. He would only be about fifteen minutes late. Would Brenda mind going on ahead to the restaurant and getting their table? He had assured her that he would be right behind her.

So she parked in the lot down the street and walked up to _The Wild Iris_, shivering in the cold night air. _Why did I buy a coat made for looks instead of warmth? _She picked up her pace and gratefully thanked the gentleman who held the door for her. After checking her coat she was escorted through the dining room in which every table had a bouquet of red and pink roses. Even though the restaurant was crowded she was given a table overlooking the beautifully landscaped atrium which had come to life with twinkling lights. _Fritzi always reserves a great table for us. _Then she watched a waiter serving Mojitos to the couple at the next table. But as good as they looked, rum gave her a headache. When her waiter handed her two gilt-edged menus complete with pink and red hearts he told her that ladies' drinks were free on Valentine's Day so she ordered a Chambord Margarita. _Fritzi doesn't like fruity cocktails so this won't bother him._

She sipped her drink and was watching the door for Fritz when movement at her side drew her eyes. Without asking permission, a woman slid into the chair across from her. She wasn't a stranger. Even though she hadn't seen the woman since she had set off a nuclear bomb in the LAPD's Murder Room, Brenda recognized her.

"Hello, Brenda, I'm Estelle Forsyth. Although I'm sure you remember me as Estelle Pope."

She was wearing a snug-fitting dress with a plunging neckline and Brenda could smell alcohol on her breath. "Yes, I recognize you. Actually, if I remember correctly, your last name is now Deison. Is there somethin' I can do for you?" Brenda's tone was ice-coated and as uninviting as she could make it. _Oh, God. Please don't make a scene. Here of all places!_

"I'm divorced again and I've gone back to my maiden name. Actually, I have wanted to talk to you for quite awhile now."

Estelle didn't sound intoxicated but she still was the last person Brenda wanted to spend any time with. "I see. But my husband will be here in a minute and…"

"I want to apologize for what I did to you when Will and I divorced. And I want to explain why I behaved so badly."

"No explanation is necessary." Brenda was determined not to be drawn into this woman's relationship with Will, or anyone else, for that matter.

"Oh, but it is. You see, when Will and I first got together, everything was wonderful. I thought I'd found the perfect man and I was sure that everything was going to be sunshine and flowers. I didn't find out he was married until after we had been seeing each other for several months, but by then it was too late."

"That's a familiar story." The words leaked out before Brenda could stop them.

If Estelle heard her she didn't react. She just pressed on. "He used to call me his 'little tart'. He said I was sweet and delicious," she smiled as she remembered. But then her expression sobered. "I didn't find out about you until after you had broken up with Will. He felt so hurt and betrayed when you dumped him. He broke my heart so I let him move in with me right after he left Mary. But neither one of us was ready."

This was too much for Brenda. "Estelle, I did not break up with Will. He broke up with me."

Estelle was shocked. "What? He did?" When Brenda nodded, she chuckled, "I don't know why I'm surprised. I should just add it to the pile of lies he's racked up. It's funny. If I'd known that at the time I would have thought I'd won. Anyway, it wasn't long before I realized that it was you he was really in love with. But you had left Washington so I thought time would take care of everything. And at first it seemed to. We had our son and Will was thrilled to be a father. And then he was offered the job here in LA and we moved across the country, about as far away as we could get from who I thought was the source of the problem."

_Oh, God. What's takin' Fritzi so long? I don't want to listen to any more of this_. "Ms. Forsyth…"

"Please, call me Estelle," and much to Brenda's dismay she continued. "I learned a hard lesson: geographical cures don't work. We carry our problems with us wherever we go. And to prove it, Will started mumbling your name in his sleep. And he even called out your name during sex more than once…"

"Ms. For… Estelle, I don't…"

"I know now that you weren't the problem, but I didn't know it then. And then I found out from Russell Taylor that Will had actually brought you to LA to work for him again. Since he had cheated on me during both of my pregnancies, I naturally thought you two had started up your affair again."

"We hadn't, but I can understand why you would think that. Apology accepted." _Come on, Fritz!_

"I felt so demoralized by Will's cheating and his obsession with you, and then I saw you at the LAPD Christmas party. You had a body that was to die for, and after two babies I couldn't get my stomach and thighs down no matter how much I exercised. I was already jealous of you and then I guess finding out that you were a character witness for Will in our divorce settlement just set me off and…"

Brenda's anger at Estelle was beginning to soften. "Estelle, I want to stress that I did not move to LA in order to take up with Will Pope - or any other man, for that matter. I came for the promotion and the pay raise." Brenda knew that wasn't 100% truthful but she had no intention of examining hers and Will's relationship with anyone, especially Estelle.

"But I know that Will wanted to resume your affair. I found the receipt for the earrings he gave you."

"He gave me those earrings on the day that I actually had a date with another man… the man I later married. You had nothin' to fear from me."

"Did that marriage work out? Are you still together?"

"Yes."

Estelle nodded and continued. "But just knowing…" She halted, took a deep breath, and started again. "Hearing your name in intimate moments made me very afraid of you. I was afraid that because of you I was going to become a single mother with two young children." She bit her lower lip and looked out over the atrium and Brenda saw tears in her eyes. "If only that had happened. It was shortly after that Christmas party that I met Larry. I was in heaven. He paid attention to me when I spoke and he never made me feel inferior or undesirable."

A waiter approached and asked if Estelle would like to order something to drink. Brenda answered for her. "No, thank you. She won't be stayin'."

When the waiter left, Estelle turned back to Brenda. "He was perfect in every way but one. He didn't want to be a father to my children. Not everyone is cut out to be a parent, you know? But I couldn't get over losing my kids and it eventually destroyed our marriage."

Brenda nodded.

"But Will, for all his womanizing, is an excellent father so I knew my kids would be well taken care of. And he was willing to give me liberal visitation so I thought everything would work out for the best. But as soon as I left him I realized what a terrible bargain I'd struck. I missed my children horribly, but there was no going back." Estelle started to cry but caught herself and regained control.

Brenda fished in her purse and found a tissue and handed it to her.

Estelle dabbed at her tears and blew her nose. "Thank you. Not only did I realize that I'd done the wrong thing, but I was afraid that Will would move you into our house and you'd take over mothering my children. I was afraid that I would lose their love to you too." Again, she started to cry.

Brenda handed her another tissue and replied, "Estelle, that never would have happened. I could never take any woman's children away from her."

Estelle nodded, "I know it was an irrational fear, but it paralyzed me. That's why I stormed into your office. It was terrible, I know. Please forgive me."

Brenda smiled at her. "Of course, I forgive you. And as long as you're here I want to thank you for bein' willin' to testify in my lawsuit. I didn't know my lawyer had contacted you but I know your testimony would have helped my case considerably."

Now it was Estelle's turn to smile. "I wish you hadn't settled. I wanted to testify against Will. Not so much to get revenge for myself, but to teach him how it feels when women he uses stand up to him. That's a lesson he needs to learn – for the sake of all the other women he's no doubt victimized since."

Brenda laughed out loud at that. "I never looked at it that way. Now I'm wonderin' if I did the right thang by settlin'."

"Well, thank you for hearing me out. I hope I didn't open up any old wounds, but I needed to explain my actions to you."

"No, you didn't. I'm sorry you gave up custody of your children, though. Maybe you'll be able to get them back someday."

"No, I don't think so. Although Will has had a parade of women throughout his entire adult life, he's painted me as a slut. And he's such an upstanding member of the community… the Chief of Police," she said sarcastically. "Something terrible would have to happen for me to regain custody and I can't wish for that. But I get all the visitation I want so I'll just have to be satisfied with that." She stopped and smiled again through tears. "I guess that's better than most sluts ever get," she added bitterly. Then she blinked away the tears and said, "Well, I've taken up enough of your time. I left my date in the bar and I'm sure he's wondering what happened to me," and she rose to leave but turned back to Brenda and smiling said, "It felt good to explain all that. I know I unloaded too much information on you and that really wasn't fair, either. But thank you for hearing me out, just the same."

Brenda nodded and replied, "Good night and good luck to you."

After Estelle left she looked out at the atrium for a moment and then picked up Fritz's card and her pen and wrote in it.

Just as she finished and put the card back in her purse, Fritz walked in. "I'm sorry I'm late. You can thank Taylor for that."

"Why? What happened?"

"I thought I was just going back to the office to sign off on Ann's report but Taylor was waiting for me. He grilled me on the operation, but it was obvious that he doesn't know much about S.O.B.'s functioning."

"Couldn't he have gotten that from Ann?"

"He could have, yes… If that was what he had really wanted. But I think he's nervous about whether his choice for the job is actually able to do the job. You know, for all his bluff and bluster, I think he has a real inferiority complex. I wonder if he's ever made a decision without worrying about it."

"Well, he made a great decision when he hired you. I'm not worried because I know you're doin' a great job."

"Thanks." Fritz changed gears. "Say, I saw Estelle Pope leaving just as I entered. But I don't think she recognized me."

Brenda nodded. "We spoke."

"Oh?"

"Remember just after you moved in how she stormed into the Murder Room yellin' about my affair with Will?"

"Of course."

"Well, she apologized. She said that she now knows I wasn't the villain in her divorce. But let's not ruin Valentine's Day by talkin' about that whole thang."

Again, a waiter approached and Fritz ordered a Perrier. Then they both studied their menus. When the waiter returned, Fritz ordered for them both. He began with Poached Shrimp with a lemon horseradish sauce, then an arugula salad. For the main course, Brenda had chosen the grilled halibut with a red pepper glaze and he chose the prime rib for himself.

"Fritz, what are you doin'?" Brenda hissed. "Remember what your doctor said. Prime rib is too high in fat." Then she turned to the waiter. "He'll have the halibut too."

The waiter turned to Fritz with a raised eyebrow and Fritz sighed, then nodded, "We'll both have the halibut."

"Very good, sir. I'll be right back with your shrimp."

After the waiter left, Fritz turned back to Brenda and grumbled, "I think Valentine's Day is a special occasion and worthy of indulgence."

"Valentine's Day is a day for a different kind of indulgence, not for you to risk another heart attack. And that shrimp is indulgent enough. Speakin' of indulgences, I have somethin' for you."

"I have something for you too but I didn't bring it with me."

"You forgot it?"

"No. I just think it's better if you open it at home."

Brenda grinned, "Sounds like you're afraid to let anyone else see that you're thinkin' about the same thang that every other male here is thinkin'."

"I'm sure you're right," he conceded with a grin and a wink, "And it also gives you something to look forward to so you'll eat fast."

Brenda laughed. "Okay. We save our Valentine's gifts for home. But I'm gonna take my time and enjoy this dinner."

"Because you enjoy making me suffer even more than you enjoy opening presents?"

"I do love torturin' you, and that's a fact. Enjoy your fish, and don't get stopped for speedin' drivin' home."

* * *

On the way home Brenda said, "That fish was delicious." When Fritz didn't respond and kept his gaze straight ahead she persisted. "Didn't you think your fish was great?"

"If I had wanted fish it would have been. But when I want prime rib? No."

"But just think how great it's gonna be when your doctor sees how good your cholesterol and triglycerides are doin'."

"And you wouldn't even let me order dessert."

"All those desserts were too rich."

"Brenda, you have to relax a little. I'm not going to drop dead if I eat a good meal on special occasions."

"When you're realistic and self-disciplined I'll relax. Until then I'm gonna see to it that you stay on your diet."

* * *

Fritz opened the door for Brenda as she sighed, "That was a perfect meal. The only thang wrong with it was that I was too stuffed to order dessert. I wonder if that swanky restaurant gives doggy bags. We should have asked."

"You being too full for dessert was sweet revenge."

"I'm hopin' you got me a box of candy. Speakin' of which, where is my present?"

"Let me get a fire going to set the mood and then I'll get it."

While he was starting the fire, Brenda grabbed her purse and retrieved his gifts. Fritz then went to the garage to get her presents. When he opened the cabinet he saw the box of candy he had gotten her and pushed it behind some cans of chrome cleaner. "When I get prime rib, Brenda, you'll get candy_._" He picked up the other two presents and walked to the door grabbing the handle. But he stopped before turning off the garage light. "I can't be mad at her. She's only being difficult because she loves me." So he closed the door and went back and grabbed the heart-shaped box of candy before walking back into the house and joining her on the sofa.

True to form, she opened the candy box first. After picking out her piece she handed the box back to Fritz and said, "Here's your dessert." He grinned and ate a piece of candy, too. "Thank you, honey. Now open your other gifts," as he handed her two gift bags.

A card was taped to one bag so she read it first. "'With every passin' day I love you more.' Thank you, sweetheart." Then she removed the tissue paper to reveal a photo taken of them both when they were on their cruise of the Greek Islands.

This was her favorite photo from that cruise. They had just finished their attempt at a Sirtaki dance and their faces were glowing as they returned to their table. A waiter had asked if he could take their picture against the backdrop of the Acropolis, splendid in lights behind them.

The crystal frame was engraved and Brenda read it aloud. "This is what LOVE looks like." Her heart melted as she kissed a smiling Fritz and said, "I love it. Thank you."

"It took a lot of love for you to do that survey so that we could take that cruise."

"It was hard, but I'm glad I did it." Then she opened the next box. As she expected, it was lingerie. "Hmmm, I'm guessin' you want me to model it tonight?"

"Not just model it. I think we need to take it for a test drive."

"Slow down, Mario Andretti. Later," she laughed and handed him his card. "Here, open this first."

He read the card's printed message silently, and then Brenda's hand-written message out loud. "You are the sunlight of my soul. There are no words to express all the love I have for you." He was caught off guard. Brenda didn't usually indulge in lavish expressions of love.

She saw that he was moved and the silence suddenly felt awkward so she handed him his first gift. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said to break the silence. It was a bottle of Aventus cologne. She watched him open the bottle and as he sniffed it she said, "I fell in love with the smell of it."

"It's great, but it's expensive."

"Not too much for Valentine's Day," she reasoned. "Besides, you just got a big raise."

"So now I can afford to pay the bills for my own extravagant gifts?"

"That's right. And to prove it, I got you two gifts. Here, open your other one."

Fritz accepted it with a chuckle and opened a leather desk organizer with the LAPD logo on it and monogrammed with his initials. "Thank you, honey. I love it. I'll take it to work with me tomorrow."

They both put their gifts down and Fritz wrapped his arms around Brenda and they both watched the flames stretching and leaping toward the chimney. Finally Fritz whispered, "I think it's time for that test drive."

Later, while lying in bed, Fritz asked, "Well, did Valentine's Day live up to the hype?"

Brenda rested her head on Fritz's chest and sighed, "Definitely. It wasn't just the day, though. I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful husband, but I'm thankful for whatever it was."

Fritz nuzzled her hair, kissed her head, and whispered, "I guess we both have a lot to be thankful for. I love you more tonight than I did this morning."

_The End_

**A/N: And now please leave your review.**


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